The veteran snowboarder, who was hoping for his third consecutive gold medal in the sport, placed fourth — ceding the gold to Iouri Podladtchikov of Switzerland. The silver and bronze went to two young Japanese competitors, Ayumu Hirano and Taku Hiraoka, respectively.

In fact, the long red locks that gave White his nickname "The Flying Tomato" were nowhere to be found. The 27-year-old had cut them off, perhaps in favor of a more mature look.

Two years older than gold medalist Podladtchikov, 9 years older than silver medalist Hirano and 12 years older than the incredible 15-year-old bronze medalist Hiraoka, White was one of the more mature competitors in the event.

And what a run it was. Days before the start of the Olympics, White had dropped out of the slopestyle competition due to safety concerns about the course. The halfpipe had the athletes similarly concerned; one snowboarder called it "garbage," while this New York Times article reported that some even suggested the event be postponed due to "poor conditions and a lack of practice time."

Regardless of the off-putting conditions, it was Iouri Podladtchikov, who goes by the nickname iPod, who nailed the "Yolo" flip — 1,440 degrees of rotation with two aerial somersaults, earning a 94.75 score out of 100. White also pulled off the "Yolo" flip — though significantly less cleanly — but fell on his first run. With a chance to reclaim a spot on the podium — or even the gold — on his second run, the final one of the event, he managed to complete the course, but a few rough landings left him with a score of 90.25 — just a few points shy of the podium.

It seems fitting that White would lose to a young man nicknamed iPod and a trick named "Yolo." There is a new era of snowboarding champions emerging and they are young — still-sporting-pubescent-acne young.

This is the first time since his win at the 2006 Turin Olympics when he was 19 that Shaun White is not receiving a medal. Although he didn't cement his legacy as the first American to win three gold medals at the same event at the Winter Olympics, his career's legacy — one of mastering and upping the ante on mind-blowing tricks with effortless style — has been an inspiration to younger riders, including Podladtchikov.

This USA Today article reported that, despite their mere two-year age difference, Podladtchikov idolized White. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, and in this case, it was also what it took to capture gold. Podladtchikov had to ride like White in order to beat him at his own game.

Although failing at a personal goal can be quite a blow, White can share in the joy of his fellow riders, knowing that his legacy was one of the driving forces that pushed them in their training and helped get them to this achievement.